Island Real Estate Team

A PARCEL OF PARADISE

The real estate market is thriving in St. Maarten/ St. Martin.

BY / ARUN JAGTIANI

As a result of the global pandemic, practically every person on this planet has had an opportunity to reevaluate his or her living conditions. Experiencing a social lockdown puts a lot of things into perspective. Homeowners and renters who have been in a position to upgrade or change their living conditions have been more motivated than ever to do something about it. One of the most noticeable real estate trends that emerged in the past year is the exodus from major cities to nearby suburbs. “Social distance is the new luxury” quickly became the most common phrase used by real estate agents in almost every market.

Some real estate markets have exploded in the past year, with homes being sold via bidding wars as soon as they are listed. In some cases, homes have been sold to buyers who never even stepped inside them beforehand!

While there might be a few isolated incidents of this happening in St. Maarten/St. Martin, the island has not had this level of extreme sales activity, at least not yet. That said, the island’s real estate market continues to thrive, and there has been a growing buzz and excitement within this sector.

St. Maarten/St. Martin was in lockdown for several months in 2020. The real estate market was one of the first sectors of the economy to start rolling as soon as free movement was allowed again. The immediate wave of real estate activity post-lockdown came primarily from full-time residents who were eager to improve their living spaces. This included long-term rentals and residential sales.

As the end of 2020 rolled around, a wave of American buyers started to show up on the island’s shores, which helped make 2021 one of the most productive years in recent decades for the local real estate market. There is no sign of slowing down; if anything, the wave of activity is expected to intensify in 2022 with direct flights from Canada resuming.

St. Maarten/St. Martin’s real estate market has always had strong appeal for international buyers looking to own a vacation property in paradise. In